Amaar is Mercy Mosque's resident Imam. He quit his lucrative career as a Toronto lawyer to pursue his true calling, leaving behind the big city and big family expectations in his wake. What this handsome young holy man may lack in experience he more than makes up for with enthusiasm. Amaar is a born people pleaser. His idealism is rivaled only by his eagerness to be liked by all. Of course, you can't please all of the people all of the time, especially when you're running a mosque from the back of a church in the prairies. While Amaar may have his fair (and not so fair) share of critics, he always manages to find a sage solution to the dilemmas of his flock and there are plenty. Between Baber's ravings, Fred's ranting, and Yasir's scheming, he barely has time for anything else. Yet, no matter how busy Amaar is, he always finds time for Rayyan. Just as Amaar realized his true feelings for Rayyan, an old friend from her past showed up. With a little gentle prodding from Yasir, Rayyan and JJ were engaged to be married. Suddenly Amaar started to question his abilities as an Imam, causing him to go back to Toronto to clear his head. But after some convincing from Yasir and a pilgrimage to Mecca, Amaar felt recharged. He put his feelings for Rayyan aside and focused on the mosque. Now that Reverend Magee is gone, Amaar will face a whole new set of challenges. There's a new guy in town, and he plans to make Amaar's life pretty difficult. It's a good thing Allah is on his side.

Rayyan is Yasir and Sarah's headscarf–wearing devout feminist daughter who also happens to be the town doctor. Rayyan is as headstrong as she is beautiful, especially when it comes to leveling the playing field for Muslim women. Rayyan embraced her faith in university and is much more devout than her parents. She often wonders if she was adopted. Saying Rayyan is competitive is like saying fish enjoy the occasional dip. Rayyan's outspoken opinions rival even Baber's more traditional take on Islam, often leaving Amaar stuck between a rock and a hard place. Things heated up when JJ, a childhood friend, showed up in Mercy, sparking a new romance with Rayyan—much to Amaar's chagrin. This turned out to be more than a passing fancy when JJ asked Rayyan to marry him and Amaar's heart and head went into a tailspin. But ever since JJ called off the wedding at the last minute, Rayyan has decided to do some serious soul searching. It's time to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life. When Rayyan finally gets her groove back, she may just find that what she's been looking for has been there all along.

Yasir has the dubious honor of being considered the head of his community–by himself if by no one else! This reluctant patriarch was born in Lebanon but studied in London where he fell in love with a lovely Canadian tourist who would later become his wife. Yasir is a contractor who runs his construction company out of the Mosque in order to keep close ties with his community (not to mention the free rent). He's a charming go-getter who would gladly sell you his heart of gold. He loves wealth and success for what it can do for his family and his community. Yasir brought Amaar to Mercy and has been his closest friend and ever since. He's a fully practicing Muslim but he still has a bit of trouble choosing between profit and Prophet. Yet for all his scheming, Yassir is a devoted husband, a doting father, and a loving son. When it comes to his daughter Rayyan, her wish is his command. His good intentions could be mistaken for meddling; like when he “negotiated” her wedding or bought a house for his potential grandchildren. While Yasir looks forward to spending more time with his wife Sarah, his biggest fear is that day when their little angel will leave the nest.

Sarah grew up in the prairies as an Anglican but converted to Islam “for love” after marrying Yasir. Sarah is what you would call a casual Muslim. She goes to the mosque but stumbles on some of the finer points of Islam. Sarah's had a few slips in the past–like the time she won the lottery or the time she tap danced in a talent show. But thanks to her daughter Rayyan she has always found her way back to the straight and narrow. Sarah sees the world as a friendly place. She's a fun–loving free spirit who speaks from the heart and has a gift of always knowing just what will make people feel better. Sarah works as the public relations officer for the Mayor's office, which can be challenging when the boss also happens to be your best friend. Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Sarah fancies herself both notable and quotable. Whether it's signing up for a fun–run or a chili cookout, her spontaneous nature usually results in some crazy hijinks making her the perfect partner in crime. Sarah prides herself on catering to the needs of others, but when left to her own devices would she be able to recognize her own needs?

Reverend Magee was once the world–weary but warm–hearted minister at Mercy Anglican. It was his idea to rent out the parish hall to the Muslims when they found themselves without a mosque. The Reverend saw the arrangement as mutually beneficial. The Muslims would have a place to worship, and the extra income would help cover the heating bills. Of course, this put him at odds with his superiors who wondered why he couldn't fill his church with new parishioners instead of Muslims. Magee was of particular help to Amaar over the years, acting as both a friend and a mentor. But now that he has left Mercy to do service in the North, Amaar will discover just how big Magee's shoes are to fill.

A Thorne by any other name would still be a jab in Amaar's side. When Reverend Magee left Mercy, his replacement arrived in the form of the handsome young Thorne. His mission is to revive the dwindling numbers of Mercy's Anglican parish. Thorne is a big city guy through–and–through. To him, life in a small prairie town is his own personal cross to bear. His motto: “I'm here for a God time, not a long time”. This is one ambitious Anglican who's anxious to climb the ranks. Thorne is convinced that once he turns the Mercy parish around, he'll be granted any post he wishes. There's only one tiny flaw in his immaculate plan. Thorne never expected to find a Mosque in his church. Amaar and Thorne may both hail from Toronto but that's where the connection ends. Thorne is a charismatic smooth talker who would almost be as equally convincing wearing horns instead of a halo. Thorne is one Anglican who believes that Muslims are just plain wrong. If he manages to revive his flock, it may not leave much room for a Mosque. But it's nothing personal, he thinks most other non–Christians are hell bound too.

Baber is the voice of his generation. Only, his generation happens to be the dark ages. If there's an opinion to be had (or heard!) it's coming from Baber's direction. Baber is more than happy to dole out free advice, but only because he considers it priceless. He sees himself as the true spiritual leader of the community in Mercy even if no one else does. On occasion he has delivered sermons in Amaar's absence, often bringing the congregants to tears (of boredom). Being the mosque treasurer makes Baber a sizeable pebble in Amaar's shoe. Baber's hobby is pointing out Amaar's shortcomings. On the surface he is a staunch fundamentalist who would like to see a return to more traditional Muslim values. Some of his greatest hits include erecting a prayer barrier and trying to install a separate entrance for women at the mosque. Baber's biggest weakness is his daughter Layla. He was left to raise Layla on his own after separating from her mother. He'll do anything to be close to Layla. He even took a sabbatical from teaching university economics so he could teach at Mercy High. With one year left to go before gradation, Baber is in for a big surprise if he thinks he can stop his little girl from growing up.

Fatima is the owner and operator of Mercy's favorite hangout, Fatima's Café. She's a no–nonsense Nigerian–Canadian Muslim who doesn't suffer fools lightly. Fatima calls it like she sees it, usually to your face. It's understandable if Fatima seems a bit prickly, she's had rough life. She grew up in a small village in Nigeria. Her husband passed away early into their marriage leaving Fatima to raise their son alone after coming to Mercy. Despite her traditional Muslim upbringing and conservative views, she is part of the mainstream culture. When customers order her famous goat curry she asks: Do you want fries with that? When it comes to the mosque, Fatima can be just as conservative as Baber. While Fatima believes that modesty and propriety go hand in hand, she often helps Baber navigate the waters of Layla's westernized ways. Fatima is always willing to go out of her way for those close to her. Rayyan considers Fatima her “Muslim mother” and will often go to her for the female Muslim perspective. Fatima even has a special admirer in Fred. She doesn't really mind that Fred has a crush on her, as long as he admires from a distance.

Fred is the host of a local radio talk show ‘Wake-up People!’ He uses his show to fuel people's suspicions about the growing Muslim community. This “Chicken Little” is convinced the sky is falling right over Mercy, and no one seems to care. Fred doesn't believe he's promoting intolerance. He believes his liberal commie critics are against freedom of speech. Some say that Fred is still bitter since he's no longer Mayor, but Fred knows that he can do more to save his community on the airwaves than on a soapbox. He does help spark a lot of healthy debate often testing the limits of Amaar's patience. Fred does have some redeeming qualities. This provocative muckraker has a genuine affection for the people in his community, even the Muslims. In his downtime Fred enjoys the simpler things in life, like working on his tan or hanging out with his fellow Prairie Dog Lodge buddies. But what he enjoys most is a hearty meal from Fatima's Café. He comes for the food but stays for her company.

Mayor Ann never met a voter she didn't like, unless that person voted for the other guy. She's quirky, caustic and unpredictable, but pragmatic to the core. The irreverent Mayor Ann has held office ever since she ousted Fred Tupper from the position. Now she uses her position to improve the quality of life in Mercy—mostly her own. The mayor believes she has a global outlook; after all, it's always happy hour somewhere! She cares deeply for her town and is often looking for ways to put Mercy on the map. Her closest friend is Sarah who also happens to be her PR person. The mayor thinks it's a riot that Sarah is caught between two cultures. She takes great delight in watching the grand soap opera the Muslims have brought to Mercy.